Coupler lock operating mechanism



Sept. 3, 1963 G. w. COPE 3,102,644

COUPLER LOCK OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 25, 19s? 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 6

Inventor:

Geoffrey W. G'ope By .D'Z WA;

his Attorney Sept. 3, 1963 G. w. COPE COUPLER LOCK OPERATING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 25, 1957 FIG. 8

Invenror:

Geoffrey W. Co pe his Attorney Sept. 3, 1963 G. w. COPE 3,102,644

COUPLER LOCK OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 25, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 16

Inventor:

Geoffrey W. Cope By WWW,

his Attorney United States Patent land Filed Feb. 25, 1957, Ser. No. 641,951

2 (Ilaims. (Cl. 213-466) This invention relates to lock operating mechanisms for railway car couplersand has as its primary object the provision of an improved rotor and cooperating operating rod for such a mechanism whereby, when a coupler is accidentally pulled out of a car, the operating rod will be disengaged from the rotor without unlocking the coupler.

An intended important feature of interlocking couplers now in service was the ability of one of a pair of mated couplers to support the other on accidental pullout of either and thus avoid thederailment which almost inevitably followed the loss of a coupler. The A.A.R. Alternate Standard Type coupler, in addition to interlocking wings similar to those employed on the A.A.R. Standard H coupler, has a bottom shelf purposed to support a mated, non-interlocking coupler, such as the A.A.R. Standard E coupler, on a pullout of the latter. Unfortunately, the intended safety action has not been realized. This action was dependent upon the mated couplers remaining locked during a pullout and it has been found that, with the present lock operating mechanism, the rotor aud operating rod will remain engaged during a pullout, causing the pulled-out coupler to swing and turn its rod and rotor to raise the lock to lockset and enable its knuckle to open, whereupon the pulled-out coupler is deprived of its support and drops on the ground.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved rotor and cooperating operating rod for a coupler locking mechanism wherein the rotor and rod are so arranged and constructed as to remain in engagement throughout the range of permissive movement of the couby preventing the pulled-out coupler from unlocking itself through the agency of the operating rod.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide an improved rotor and cooperating operating rod for a coupler operating mechanism which will disengage on excessive forward movement of a coupler incident to a pullout without damage to either part.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved rotor for the locklift mechanism of a coupler which not only will disengage a cooperating operating'rod when the normally-engaged end portion of the latter has attained a predetermined abnormal angularity relative to the longitudinal center line of the coupler, but is of such open construction as to be self-cleaning and thus prevent impairment by accumulations of snow, ice orother foreign matter on the rotor of the operation of the lock operating mechanism.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter in the detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the appended claims and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a car end portion showing the head of a coupler to which has been applied a preferred embodiment of the rotor and operating rod of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the structure of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the lines 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a view of the operating rod on a scale intermediate that of FIGURES l and 3 taken in the plane of its handle;

aiaaan FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the rotor-engaging end portion of the rod of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a front elevational view of the structure of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the bracket and associated portion of the operating rod showing the disposition of the latter relative to the bracket when disengaged from the rotor;

FIGURE 8 is a plan view on a scale larger than that of FIGURE 3 showing the rotor and engaged end portion of the operating rod in their normal engaged position;

FIGURE 9 is a plan view of the structure of FIGURE 8 showing he rotor and rod substantially at the point of release, portions having been broken away and shown in section and phantom to more clearly, illustrate certain of the details of construction;

FIGURE 10 is afront elevational view of the rotor of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 11 is a rear elevational view of the rotor;

FIGURE 12 is a plan view of the rotor;

FIGURE 13 is an outer end elevational view of the rotor;

FIGURE .14 is an inner end elevational view of the rotor;

FIGURE 15 is a vertical, sectional view taken along the lines 15--1" 5 of FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 16 is a vertical sectional view taken along lines l6-l6 of FIGURE 10; and

FIGURE 17 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the lines 17-47 of FIGURE 10.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts, the improved rotor and operating rod of the present invention, while adaptable generally to couplers having rotor-actuated lock operating mechanisms, for purposes of illustration has been applied to an interlocking type of coupler, designated as 1, that shown being an A.A.R. Alternate Standard Type F coupler. Installed in the usual manner in a railway car 2 and projecting from one end 3 thereof, the coupler 1, in the normal position of FIGURES 1 and 2, is disposed centrally of and substantially normal to the end Ta of the car 2. As will be understood, the longitudinal spacing between the head 4 of the coupler :1 and the car end 3 will depend upon the type of car in which it is installed, the relative spacing in the illustrated embodiment being that for a conventional box car.

Automatically coupling, the coupler 1 is uncoupled from a side of the car 2 by an operating or uncoupling rod 5 which may be of two-piece but preferably is of onepiece construction. The operating rod 5 is supported toward its outer end by a bracket 6 mounted at the end 3 of the car adjacent one side thereof and having an upwardly opening eye 7 for receiving and seating the outer end portion 8 of the operating rod. The inner end portion 9 of the operating rod 5 is designed conventionally to extend in. normal position substantially horizontally and parallel to the adjacent car end 3 with the normal spacing between it and the car end determined by the type of car in which the coupler is installed. This, in turn, is determinative of the slope of the axis of the eye 70f the bracket 6 and the outer end portion 8 of the operating rod 5 required to project the intermediate portion 10 of the rod 5 to its point of intersection with the innerend portion 9. Angleable and shiftable axially relative to the bracket eye 7 sufiiciently to accommodate the range of service movement of the coupler 1, the operating rod 5 is retained in the eye'by a pin 11 closing the upper end of the eye and limited in inward shifting relative thereto by a washer 12 fixed to the outer end portion 8 outwardly of the eye. The operating rod 5 carries at or has its inner end formed as a reversely bent, downstanding, U- shaped book 13 which is conventional except that it is bent the 3 rearwardly towards the car end 3 and thus has its free or outer end 34 disposed obliquely or at an acute angle relative to the axis of the outer end portion 2' of the rod. The hook 13 is intended to engage or hook into an eye portion 14 of a rotor 15 which may have two counterpart eye portions if the coupler 1 is to be operated from either side of the car or, more conventionally and here, has but one. Designed in the illustrated embodiment to actuate the locklift assembly of a type F coupler, the rotor 15 has its eye portion 14 integral with and extending from one side of'a trunnioned stem or shaft 16 which is insertible into and rotatable in a pair of transversely spaced rotor trunnion receiving openings 17 formed in the bottom portion of the head 4 of the coupler and between the openings 17 carries an integral offset lug portion 13.. The latter is engaged in the usual manner by the jaws 19 of a rotor lever 20, the other end of which is pivotally con nected to .a toggle 21, serving with the rotor lever as the locklift assembly 22. The uncoupling of the coupler is conventional, pulling up of the handle 23 of the operating rod 5, rotating the rotor 15 and, through the locklift remains seated in its supporting bracket has the disadvantage of remaining in engagement even on a pullout of the coupler-with the undesired result that swinging of the pull-out coupler with the operating rod held by its bracket will cause rotation of the rotor sufficiently to raise the lock 24 to lockset position so that the knuckle will be free to open and the pulled-out coupler cannot be held from falling by the coupler with which it was coupled. Overcoming of this undesirable characteristic is in part the function of the obliquity of the hook 13 relative to the outer end portion of the operating rod and in balance that of the construction of the eye portion 14 of the improved rotor 15.

Intended to disengage the operating rod 5 after a predetermined forward movement of the coupler, the eye or eye portion 1-4 must open rearwardly to free or pass the hook when the desired release point is reached and at the same time must be so constructed as to prevent disengagement throughout the range of service movements of the coupler. Since the operating rod 5 will angle rearwardly relative to the'rotor during forward movement of thecoupler, the problem, thus, is to prevent release of the operating rod until the rearward angularity exceeds the maximum attained during service movements. However, if the critical rearward angularity or release angle is made too great, the operating rod and rotor both may be damaged.

Controlled by the above factors the rotor eye or eye portion 14 of the present invention is formed of substantially parallel inner and outer walls 27 and 28, respectively, integral with and disposed substantially normal to the stem 16 of the rotor 15 and spaced longitudinally of the rotor to accommodate loosely therebetween'the hook 13 of the operating rod 5. Theinner and outer,

lateral or transverse walls 27 and 28 preferably have substantially vertical or upstanding rear edges29 and 30', respectively, and are connected adjacent thereto, at their bottoms by a bottom wall 31. Preferably being bulged forwardly, the lateral walls 27 and 28 are connecteda't their forward extremities by a front wall 32, the latter being offset upwardly and forwardly of the bottom wall 31 to provide therebetween a relatively wide, forwardly and downwardly opening slot 33, coextensive, longitudinally, with the bottom Wall 31 and the spacing between the lateral walls.

- In its normal eye-engaging position, the hookl3 has its outer or free end 34 received in or contained against engagement of rotor and operating rod so long as the rod upward movement by a pocket or recess 35 in the outer portion of the eye, the pocket being defined outwardly by the outer wall 28 and vertically by the bottom wall 31 and a substantially horizontal shelf or ledge 36 instanding or directed inwardly from the upper part of the outer wall toward the inner wall 27 and adapted to be straddled by the hook. Surmounting or upstanding from and coterminous inwardly with the inner edge 37 of the shelf confronting the inner wall 27 is a rib, abutment or shoulder 38. This rib 38 not only reinforces the shelf f t; and, alone, could hold the hook in normal position against upward movement but here performs the important function of supporting the hook 13 above the bottom of the eye so that the slot 33 between-the bottom and front or longitudinal walls 31 and 32 is free to pass any snow or ice that might otherwise accumulate within the eye and interfere with the coaction of the rotor 15 and operating rod 5. Support for the hook is provided by a substantially flat, horizontal seat or upper face 39 on the rib 38 preferably extending rearwardly from the ribs front end and terminating short of its rear end.

To limit relative, rotation of the operating rod 5 and rotor 15 so that the hook 13 will rotate the rotor clockwise, as viewed from. its outer end, in uncoupling and be rotated counter-clockwise by the rotorin coupling, two elements are provided. One is a limiting flange 49 depending or downstanding from the shelf 36 along and adjacent the front edge of the outer wall 28 and interrupting the upper, outer corner of the slot 33. This flange has an arcuately concave inner face 41 conforming in contour and angular disposition to the side portion of the free end 34 ofthe hook 13 by which it is adapted to be engaged. The other element is a retaining or stop lug or finger 42 formed on andoutstanding or projecting outwardly from the rear portion of the inner wall 27 toward the outer wall 28. The lug 42 is spaced above and in substantial longitudinal alignment with the bot-tom wall 31 and is substantially coextensive vertically or horizontally aligned with the common inner edge 37 of the shelf 36 and rib 3% Further, the lug 42. is disposed and of suificient vertical extent to include or overlap the longitudinal center line of the hook 13 overthe range of permissive vertical movement of the latter and has an inner face '43 con-forming in contour to the side of the bend at of the hook ll3- by which it is adapted to be abutted. V

Limiting relative movementof the hook in any direction short of the predetermined release angle by its lateral walls 27 and 28, front wall 32, shelf 36, flange and retaining lug 42, the eye 14, when the release angle is reached, releases the hook l3 rearwardly through a release opening 45 rearwardly interrupting the eye and disposed between the retaining lug 42 and the common inner edge 37 of the shelf 36 and rib 38. As will be noted, the forepart an of this inner edge 37 is substantially parallel to the inner wall 27 and is so spaced longitudinally relative to the retaining lug 42 that if the forepart were extended to the rear edge of the eye, the longitudinal clearance between it and the outer end of the retaining lug 42 would be insufficient to pass the hook and the latter could not be disengaged. However, the forepart extends rearwardly but a short distance, the inner edge 37 thereafter being in the form of a bevel or bevel portion 47 inclined or sloping and diverging rearwardly from the retaining lug and-defining therewith the release opening 45. While flaring or progressively widening rearwardly, the release opening is bounded by substantially horizontal aligned elements, the retaining lug 42 and bevel portion 47 of the inner edge 37, and at its narrowest point .is only slightly wider than the width or diameter of the bend 44 of the hook 137 As a consequence, the bend 44 of the hook must be substantially vertically disposed to pass through the release opening 45, inhibiting release when the hook is twisted or distorted and rendering the eye M effective to retain the operating rod 5 and rotor 15 in operating engagement substantially to the point of release, despite tolerance, wear or rod distortion.

The outer wall 28 may be flat to its rear edge 30 in which case the release angle will be that at which the outer end 34 of the hook 13 has been swung clear of the rear edge of the eye. In the disclosed embodiment, the release angle is decreased by relieving or bevelling the rear end portion of the outer wall 23 with the resultant bevel 48 inclined or sloping nearwardly and outwardly at such an angle as substantially to parallel the rearwardly inclined hook when the operating rod has angled sufficiently to move the outer end 34 of the hook onto the bevel 48. When the outer or free end 34 of the hook 13 reaches the rear edge 30 of the outer wall 28 in the one case and the bevel 43 on that wall in the other, the hook can move outwardly away from the retaining lug 42 and slide along or be guided by the common inner edge 37 of the shelf 36 and rib 3 8 to and through the release opening 4-5.

With the inward inclination of the hook 13 relative to the plane or axis of the inner end portion 9 of the operating rod about 20 and the rotor eye 14 constructed as in the disclosed embodiment, the release angle, i.e. the angle between the outer end portion of the rod and the axis of the rotor at the point of disengagement of the rod and rotor will be approximately 19, as opposed to a release angle equal to the sum, of these two angles or approximately 39 were the hook in the plane of the outer end portion 8 of the operating rod 5. Translated in terms of movement of the coupler 1, this means that the release point will be reached when the coupler has moved torwardly approximately 15%". This is more than suflicient to accommodate the range of service movements of a coupler installed on a car having a fixed underframe and, while some bending of the operating rod will occur before the release point is reached, the bending will be insufiicient to damage the rod. The arrangement of this invention also is readily adapted to a coupler having a greater than ordinary range of movement, e.g. one installed in a car fitted with a cushion underframe. Such a greater range readily can be accommodated by omitting the bevel 48 on the outer wall 2 8 or reducing the angle of rearward inclination of the hook 13, or both, omission of the bevel, alone, increasing the forward travel of the coupler to the point of release to 22%. Operable by the operating rod 5 throughout its range of service movements but disengaged therefrom during pull-out, the coupler 1, when pulled out, will have its knuckle 25 locked in closed position, thus enabling the coupler to be sup ported by the rnated coupler if the latter is equipped with a bottom shelf or both couplers are of the interlocking type, and effectively preventing derailment from this cause. Another possible cause of derailment incident to pull-out, dropping of the operating rod 5, also is eliminated by the aforementioned stop washer 12 on the operating rod which, by engaging the bracket eye 7 when the hook end of the rod is released from the rotor, limits the maximum inward movement and downward angularity of the operating rod relative to the bracket 6 such that the rod is prevented from dropping sutficiently to foul the track or 'fall under a Wheel.

From the above detailed description, it will be apparent that there has been provided, in a coupler lock operating mechanism, an improved rotor and operating rod of such construction and arnangement as to be oper-atively engaged over the range of service movements of the associated coupler hut disengaged during a pull-"out so as to prevent unlocking 'of the coupler and give effect to means on the mated coupler for supporting the pulled-out coupier and preventing it from dropping and causing a derailment. It should be understood that the described and disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the invention and that all modifications are intended to be included which do not depart from either the spirit of the invention or the scope ot the appended calims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a lock operating mechanism for a railway coupler, the combination with a rotor carried by said coupler and having an eye interrupted rearw-ardly by a release opening, of an operating rod having a substantially straight inner end portion normally disposed substantially parallel to the axis of said rotor and a hook at the inner end and having a free end normally inclined rearwardly of the axis of said inner end portion, said hook normally engaging said eye and being disengageable therefrom through said release opening.

2. In a lock operating mechanism [for a railway coupler, the combination with a rotor carried *by said coupler and having an eye interrupted rearwardly by a release opening, of an opens-ting rod supported 'at an outer end in an eye of :a bracket attached to a car body and having an inner end portion normally disposed substantially parallel to the axis of said rotor, a hook carried at an inner end of and having a free end normally inclined rearwardly relative to said portion, said hook normally being engageable with said eye and disengageazble therefrom through said release opening, and means fixed to said operating rod outwardly of said bracket eye and engageable therewith on disengagement of said hook from said rotor for limiting the inward movement and downward inclination of said rod relative to said bracket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,000,987 Richards May 14, 1935 2,155,333 Sisson Apr. 18, 1939 2,184,818 Sisson Dec. 26, 1939 2,885,095 Burke May 5, 1959 2,904,191 Willison Sept. 15, 1959 2,949,195 Kozak Aug. 16, 1960 

1. IN A LOCK OPERATING MECHANISM FOR A RAILWAY COUPLER, THE COMBINATION WITH A ROTOR CARRIED BY SAID COUPLER AND HAVING AN EYE INTERRUPTED REARWARDLY BY A RELEASE OPENING, OF AN OPERATING ROD HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT INNER END PORTION NORMALLY DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID ROTOR AND A HOOK AT THE INNER END AND HAVING A FREE END NORMALLY INCLINED REARWARDLY OF THE AXIS OF SAID INNER END PORTION, SAID HOOK NORMALLY ENGAGING SAID EYE AND BEING DISENGAGEABLE THEREFROM THROUGH SAID RELEASE OPENING. 